A Hobbit's Tale
by Ariadne394
Summary: We don't know that much about Frodo's backstory, but we do know that he grew up in Buckland before Bilbo adopted him as his heir. I wondered how this would have affected Frodo, and so naturally I decided to write a story about it. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**We don't know that much about Frodo's life before The Lord of the Rings. However, we do know that he grew up in Buckland before Bilbo adopted him as his heir. I wondered how this would have affected Frodo, and so naturally I decided to write a story about it. Reviews are much appreciated - I know it needs a lot of work. (more to come!)**

**disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings - I am simply a fan trying to better understand Tolkien's brilliant creation. :)**

I don't blame the old hobbit for taking me away from my homeland. After all, how could he know what I was missing? To Bilbo, it was inconceivable that even the tangled wilderness of Buckland rivaled the peaceful beauty of The Shire. And even I had to admit that it was beautiful. I quickly fell in love with the rolling hills, the brooks, and the fields...

Perhaps I would warm to this way of life with more ease if I were not so attached to Buckland. Hobbits were hobbits, but the temperament of the hobbits in Buckland was more suitable to my own. I missed their frankness and eagerness, which presented a stark contrast to the simple folk of my new home in Hobbiton. These hobbits soundly rejected anything unnatural, which of course meant that they rejected me. Here, I was the outsider.

And then there was Bilbo himself. I had not quite yet reconciled my feelings about him.

There was a part of me which knew that any resentment I felt towards him was irrational. Although he barely knew me, it was obvious that he cared for me. He took pains to make me feel comfortable and often sat down with me by the crackling fire to tell me about his adventures which had taken place many years ago.

And yet I felt as though it was not really _me_ Bilbo cared for, but our relationship. An heir - ha! Apparently I was his first and second cousin once-removed... but I'd never seen the fellow in my life before he showed up at my door offering to adopt me. The truth was obvious: Bilbo needed me to fill in the gap in his line. Indeed, he told me multiple times that he would be dead before the he saw the Sackville-Bagginses take his place in Bag End.

But still, I could not blame him. I would probably do the same thing if I were in his position.

I knew that I would grow to love The Shire, and Bilbo, in time. However, it seemed that time was exactly what I did not have. Bilbo had had a way of determining my fate: it was he who had brought me to The Shire, and it was he who would shortly be responsible for taking me away from it forever.


	2. Chapter 2

I have friends.

I've found that the younger hobbits in The Shire are much more accepting of change than the older ones, perhaps more out of curiosity than anything. Whatever the case, I am grateful for their company. Merry and Pippin especially are lively and engaging, and being around another Brandybuck reminds me of home.

And then there is Sam. When I first heard that he worked as Bilbo's gardener, I laughed. I am ashamed to admit it, but I couldn't help myself. Of course all hobbits share a love of things that grow, but the first time I met him, I just couldn't imagine Sam squatting on the ground all day, digging in the dirt. Later, I realized that Sam makes a perfect gardener. Life imitated art, as was often the case, and Sam cares for the people in his life just as he cares for the plants that grew outside of Bag End. I see that Sam cares for the sillier hobbits like Merry and Pippin no matter how much trouble they get themselves (and us, from time to time) into. I see that he cares for _me_.

It is such a simple thing, but it makes me feel like I am finally beginning to find my place in Hobbiton. There are some who still distrust me, but I brush it off, knowing that it is not _me_ they distrust, but Bilbo's reputation. A "disturber of the peace," that is what they call him. Bilbo and Gandalf, the grand conspirators.

I am quite looking forward to seeing Gandalf again. Of course Bilbo has told me all about him (what little he knows, anyway), but I have only seen the wizard in person once or twice before. What's more, his fireworks are stuff of legend; the thought of Gandalf and his fireworks is inseparable in the minds of hobbits.

What they say is true: Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday will be a party of special magnificence.


End file.
